Assaulting a dilemma, park rangers
led by Jim Walters (left) begin an
experiment to remove from the canyon
feral burros whose ancestors arrived
with early prospectors. While undeniably
appealing (right), the animals are also
destructive, cutting networks of erosion
inducing trails (below), stripping
vegetation, trampling archeological sites,
and competing for food and territory
with desert bighorn sheep and mule deer.
Routine shooting of the burros, begun
in 1924, finally raised howls of protest,
prompting rangers to try immobilizing
darts instead of bullets. The plan: to see
if burros can be removed under sedation.
Cost in time, money, and manpower:
very expensive, with park budget and
manpower already stretched membrane
thin. Outlook: not very promising.